The Film Daily (1936)

THE Thursday, Sept. 3, 1936 -2&*\ DAILY BLAST VS. RENTALS TURNS OUT FIZZLE (Continued from Page 1) and Leo Posel — to meet with exhibitors individually to hear their complaints and to try to formulate some plan whereby high prices could be checked. President Lewen Pizor read the assemblage the sales plans of other parts of the country. An expected lashing against the high rental plans from David Barrist did not appear as originally scheduled. Barrist said the committees would be able to do little and that the only method was the one best known to exhibitors. While he did not mention laying off buying, it was thought probable this was in his mind. Ben Amsterdam said that the organization was not yet strong enough to fight and that a stronger body was necessary before other steps could be taken. Discussion of a booking boycott whereby dates would not be given, got nowhere. A resolution against movie stars appearing on radio programs in competition to movie theaters was also passed. Adventure Film Trend Is Seen by Ward Wing Seeking to diversify the makeup of their programs, producers will more and more turn to adventure pictures as they strive to get off the beaten studio production track and away from so-called "routine" type of stories, declared Ward Wing, producer and director, in New York yesterday. "Box-office history proves that melodramas, particularly those against on out-of-the-ordinary background, make business for theaters," said Wing. "Adventure pictures made in far-off places have a peculiar appeal to audiences as they afford locales which naturally possess color and drama." "Another advantage in connection with this kind of a picture is that production costs have not substantially increased, unlike studio-made productions," said Wing. Wing, who made "Samarang" for United Artists, is arranging distribution on several pictures he is planning to produce in the Far East. One production is "Tea Leaves of Ceylon," which he will make at Ceylon. Hardwicke in New GB Film Cedric Hardwicke, who sailed for London yesterday on the Aquitania, has been signed for one of the principal roles in GB's "King Solomon's Mines," also featuring Roland Young and Paul Robeson. Russell Rome Marrying Russell W. Rome, aide to E. C. Mills at Ascap, will be married today to Carolyn Ann Wrenn at Shelter Island. JUUL • • • LOOKS AS though the Indians got tired of waiting for the citizens to give Manhattan Island back to 'em after that gyp trade the Dutch boys put over on 'em some time ago so they established headquarters yesterday at the Rivoli right on Broadway and practically took the Island over with a tepee-cal Indian-style show called "The Last of the Mohicans" a packed house, with a waiting line of magnificent length 4300 scalps hanging from the cashiers' belts before noon a first-day b.o. business that surpassed everything since the Chaplin opening which was at higher prices the show is such a wow that Chief Harry Goetz, Chief Eddie Small and the United Artists tribe are going to hold a pow-wow to plan some additional exploitation medicine it rates it • • • THE DIARY of a Debutante mostly concerning her ritzy butler that's the nifty and peppy li'l booklet created by Joe Weil to blazon forth the appeal of Universal's "My Man Godfrey" what the ad boys call "a LOMBARD ment of love with a POWELLf ul punch" it's one of the cleverest giveaways ever thought out for any picture a natural for in the original story the dizzy dame actually keeps a diary unlike some diaries, this one will bring bills instead of chills to the B. 0. and Hollywood • • • A NIFTY from Joe McNulty of G-B a paraphrase of a very popular ad slogan that can be used for 20th Century-Fox's Simone Simon "Exhibitors wise Simon-ize!" ... • And Jack Fuld wonders if the New Deal will be credited with the "Pennies from Heaven" soon to be released by Columbia T T T • • • WHEN THE New Criterion in Times Square opens on Sept. 10, it will represent the first theater in the nation to be equipped with television facilities ... • D. A. Doran, Jr. will open his initial Fall season legit production, "Seen But Not Heard," at the Henry Miller theater on Sept. 17 he starts rehearsals on "The Inner Silence" Sept. 24 ▼ T T • • • STARTS OFF with all the earmarks of an intelligent plan to give a break to folks who may have screen talent this Motion Picture Bureau for New Talent is a commercial enterprise for profit of course offering to make screen tests of those who can afford to pay for it and promising nothing that's fair enough but it wouldn't be fair if the sponsors took dough from folks who obviously haven't got a Chinaman's chance to crash the studios the backers, I. R. Gwirtz and Leon J. Rubenstein, cross their hearts that they will advise the talentless to keep their dough in their socks we believe these boys will do what they stipulate and then this venture will rate an indorsement by the industry T T T • • • WORD COMES from Dave Bader's agency in London that Gustav Machay, who made "Ecstacy," has completed at the Pisorno studio in Italy two versions of "Ballerine" the pix was made in French and Italian, and a print will be sent to Bader's office to arrange for an English version Maria Ray heads the cast ... • "Under Two Flags" has smashed the house record of the big Broadway theater in Buenos Aires, according to word received at the 20th Century-Fox home office ... • Late news flashes are being presented on the Roxy stage at every show by Russ Brown he appears in full view, and announces through the loud speaker system called the "Roxy Newstator," it is planned as a regular feature. 91-2 WEEKS OF VAUDE FOR RKO CIRCUIT With four houses slated to add vaudeville within the next two weeks, and plans for an additional five weeks of vaudeville regarded as fairly certain, RKO will have a total of nine and a half weeks of vaude bookings shortly. In Boston, RKO will begin playing full week vaudeville Thursday. Within two weeks, the Palace, Albany; Proctor's, Troy, and Proctor's, Schenectady, Fabian theaters, will begin playing vaudeville. RKO now has two weeks of vaudeville, and an additional four or five weeks of vaudeville are fairly certain, it was stated yesterday. American Tobis to Have 40 Releases in 1936-37 (Continued from Page 1) French pictures, six Austrian features, 26 German pictures and perhaps three Spanish pictures. In addition 12 German and Austrian scientific shorts will be released. Van Beveren said he wished to scotch reports that Inter-Tobis Corp. of Amsterdam, which controls the German, French, Austrian and Spanish Tobis producing subsidiaries were German-owned or controlled. He declared that less than 10 per cent if the stock of Inter-Tobis of Amsterdam was held by Germans. Radio Doesn't Interfere With Studio — Milestone From the production angle, appearance of picture stars on radio programs does not work any hardship upon the studios as a producer or director can work around a player fulfilling broadcasting engagements, declared Lewis Milestone in a New York interview yesterday at the Hotel Savoy Plaza. Milestone is in town to attend the opening of his latest directorial effort, "The General Died at Dawn," at the Paramount today. When he returns to the Coast early in October, he will make a picture for Walter Wanger, now releasing through United Artists. Samuel Goldwyn has also talked to him about directing "Dead End," the Broadway play which Milestone saw last night. The director goes to Ausable Falls on Friday night and returns to New York after Labor Day. « « « » » » Time's New Picture Mag Time, Inc., is planning to put out the first issue of its new picture magazine late in November, it was said yesterday. The magazine will contain only photographs. A board of five has been working on the publication under direction of John R. Luce. Geller Closes House Louis Geller has closed his 86th Street Garden, New York.